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The differences between continuous improvement engineers and planning engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a continuous improvement engineer and a planning engineer. Additionally, a planning engineer has an average salary of $82,521, which is higher than the $78,918 average annual salary of a continuous improvement engineer.
The top three skills for a continuous improvement engineer include lean manufacturing, lean six sigma and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a planning engineer are project management, infrastructure, and transmission planning.
| Continuous Improvement Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,918 | $82,521 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $39.67 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 42,411 | 56,792 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a continuous improvement engineer depend on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around developing systems to improve existing products or operations, coordinating with different teams to gather data, performing research and analysis, identifying areas needing improvement, and implementing new processes and systems. They may also address inquiries and concerns, responding to issues promptly and effectively. Furthermore, as a continuous improvement engineer, it is essential to build production systems in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
A planning engineer is in charge of developing plans and systems to organize and schedule project procedures, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities revolve around learning and understanding the extent of all operations, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with external parties such as vendors or distributors, and maintaining an active communication line with other departments. Furthermore, a planning engineer must monitor the progress of the workflow and the performance of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Continuous improvement engineers and planning engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Continuous Improvement Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,918 | $82,521 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $103,000 | Between $61,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woodland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a continuous improvement engineer and a planning engineer in terms of educational background:
| Continuous Improvement Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between continuous improvement engineers' and planning engineers' demographics:
| Continuous Improvement Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.9% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |